Gov. Dave Heineman said Friday that state officials will not seek 257 inmates who were let out early but would have finished their correct sentence by now. Three others have died since their release, and five have successfully completed their parole.

"They committed a crime, they were found guilty in a court, and a judge issued a sentence and we have an obligation to carry out that sentence even though there was a mistake made," said Heineman.

Of the remaining inmates, an unspecified number is back in custody and some qualify for furlough programs. One is being paroled.

Heineman and Attorney Jon Bruning say another 567 inmates were given incorrect sentences, but none of those prisoners were released.

Bruning says the inmates being pursued generally have 1 to 4 years remaining on their sentences.

“I know it's going to be jarring, but they committed the crime. Our job is to protect the public safety and carry out the sentence,” said Bruning.

Already, 57-year-old Bruce Caton is taking legal action. He was convicted as a habitual criminal for rape, kidnapping, theft and escape. He was released in 2013, but his recalculated release appears to be in 2018.

In his petition, Caton said he has a job as a flag man on a road construction project and is not a risk to commit new crimes. He said he has reconnected with his sons in Phoenix, Arizona, and will not disappoint them again.

“The people we have talked to are just crushed by the possibility they are going to have to be re-incarcerated,” said defense attorney James Martin Davis.

Davis doesn't believe there is much they can do.

“They are going to be re-incarcerated, and there's not much anybody can do for them,” he said.

GOOD EVENING, I'M JEREMY MASKEL. AND I'M MELISSA FRY. IT'S AN UNPRECIDENTED DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS MISTAKE. THE STATE - WANTS TO FIND AND LOCK UP AS MANY AS 25 FELONS...WHO WERE RELEASED TOO EARLY. ALL THIS.. WHILE HUNDREDS OF INMATES STILL BEHIND BARS - ARE TOLD THEY WILL NOW HAVE TO áSTAY THERE LONGER. IT'S BECAUSE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES..PRISON OFFICIALS MIS-CALCULATED SOME INMATES SENTENCES. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S ANDREW OZAKI HAS THE DETAILS IN OUR BIG STORY AT SIX. A MISTAKE LET THEM OUT EARLY... AND NOW THE STATE WANTS THEY BACK.. BEHIND BARS. ( Jon Bruning: I know it's going to be jarring but they committed the crime.Our job is to protect the public safety and carry out the sentence. ) 20 ARREST WARRANTS ISSUED IN DOUGLAS, LANCASTER SARPY AND HALL FOR FORMER INMATES( Jon Bruning: They still get credit for the time on the outside if they didn't screw up. But they ATTORNEY GENERAL AND GOVERNOR SAY IN ALL, 306 INMATES WERE RELEASED EARLY BUT A VAST MAJORITY... 257 HAVE ALREADY BEEN BACK IN THE COMMUNITY LONGER THAN THEIR RECALCULATED GET CREDIT FOR THAT TIME THEY'RE OK... ANOTHER THREE HAVE DIED, A HANDFUL HAVE EITHER COMPLETED PAROLE OR ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE OR FURLOUGH. THEN THERE ARE 567 CURRENT INMATES WHO JUST FOUND OUT THEY WILL HAVE TO SPEND MORE TIME IN PRISON.( committed a crime, they were found guilty in a court and a judge issued a sentence and we have an obligation to carry out that sentence even though there was a mistake made. ) ALREADY THIS MAN, 57 YEAR OLD ACTION. CONVICTED AS HABITITUAL CRIMAL FOR RAPE, KIDNAPPING, THEFT AND ESCAPE HE WAS RELEASED IN 2013 ... HIS RECALCULATED RELEASE APPEARS TO BE IN 2018 IN HIS PETITION TO THE LANCASTER COUNTY COURT HE WRITES HE HAS A JOB AS A FLAG MAN ON A ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND IS NOT A RISK TO COMMITT NEW CRIMES. HE HAS RECONNECTED WITH HIS SONS IN PHOENIX AND WILL NOT DISSAPPOINT THEM AGAIN."( James Martin Davis: the people we have talked to AGe just crushed by the possibility they are going to have to be reincarcerated.) BUT DEFENSE ATTORNEY JAMES MARTIN DAVIS DOESN'T BELIEVE THERE IS MUCH THEY CAN DO.( James Martin Davis: They are and there's not much anybody can do for them. ) IN NEWSWATCH SEVEN. THE GOVERNOR SAYS THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE WHO IN CORRECTIONS IS TO BLAME FOR THE MISTAKE. BUT HE SAYS THEIR PRIMARY CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS GETTING THE 20 TO 25 FORMER INMATES IN CUSTODY. WE'VE POSTED THE ENTIRE SENTENCES RECALCULATED.

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